Emirates Towers and Chopard tie up to introduce first ladies-only service

Emirates Towers Hotel in Dubai launched a dedicated ladies-only floor at the end of May. The five-star hotel claims to have identified a niche market, as more and more female business travellers choose to undertake overseas business trips on their own.

Emirates Towers Hotel in Dubai launched a dedicated ladies-only floor at the end of May. The five-star hotel claims to have identified a niche market, as more and more female business travellers choose to undertake overseas business trips on their own. Situated on the 40th floor of the Emirates Towers Hotel, featuring 10 Tower Rooms and one Apex Suite, the ladies-only floor has been launched in association with luxury amenities provider, Chopard, and is believed to be the first initiative of its kind in the region. “Industry reports have shown that the number of female executives travelling alone has increased considerably, which creates a very attractive niche for hotels,” said Doris Greif, general manager of Emirates Towers. “We introduced this concept on a trial basis to our guests and the response was tremendous, which certainly indicates there is a need for such a concept within the Middle East.” Within its first month of operation, the floor reported 100% occupancy on all nights, a business trend Greif is confident will continue. Serviced only by female staff, including colleagues from departments such as engineering, security and room service, the Chopard ladies floor offers privacy and comfort for lady travellers. Due to the architecture of Emirates Towers there is no dedicated check-in area but the front desk staff escorts female guests to their rooms. “Whilst we do not have a separate entrance to the floor, once landing on level 40 of the hotel, there are additional glass doors which only open with the room keys configured for the ladies floor and no unwanted visitors can access any other areas other than the lift landing itself,” Greif told Hotelier Middle East. Amenities provided by Chopard include bathing products, cosmetics and a cosmetics fridge, fragrances and ladies make-up accessories. Guests to the Chopard ladies floor are greeted by original flower arrangements and turn down fragrances such as Casmir, Casran and Infiniment Chopard. In-room facilities include a yoga mat and instructional DVD, Chopard bath line products and towels, all of which were custom-made for this joint venture. Even the duvet and bed linens have been exclusively woven for the ladies floor at Emirates Towers. “The most important issue for us with this ladies floor was not to differentiate in room design from the existing room product, but to ensure that the service levels, as well as amenities provided in these rooms, are focused on female travellers rather than on colour design of interiors, which to me is secondary,” Greif commented. “Our decision to introduce this concept was influenced by the increase in average spending by women travellers on an annual basis, in addition to their heightened expectations when it comes to quality service,” she added. The hotel will continue to measure the demand for this service in the coming months, with a view to possibly expanding the ladies-only floor to a second level, and adding a lounge facility. At present, this is not confirmed.